That according to Calgary-West MP, Rob Anders who argues that PetroChina's recent purchase of the nearby Mackay River project will allow a dangerous political force in the provincial marketplace.

Anders says the transaction threatens to undermine the popular ethical oil argument, by putting Canada in bed with China.

"If you have a country that is an ethical producer of oil but directly implicates another government, not just a company but another government that is very unethical in its extraction, where does that leave us, It raises an interesting question, kind of a hypothetical conundrum," said Anders.Anders says, among all foreign operators in the oil patch, China has the worst human rights reputation.

And as the oil sands see an influx of international operators, the province needs to work to maintain consistent safety regulations and transparent financial transactions.